Wear Socks While Househunting! - 03/28/10 09:24 PM
Fashion advice on a real estate blog?  Sure... why not?
Some may see this as fashion, but I see it as practicality and comfort.  To be honest, it doesn't matter to me whether you show up for the home search in a three-piece suit, a leather mini-skirt, plaids clashing with polka dots, or sweatpants.  I just want you to be comfortable and happy for your househunting expedition.
When heading out to go see homes, you'll likely notice that many sellers prefer that you take off your shoes.  This is especially true when the carpets have just been cleaned and/or new carpets … (123 comments)

Fairfax County's Biggest Cheerleader: There's Lots to Cheer About! - 03/25/10 09:18 PM
Every community has its cheerleaders -- those who tout the wonderful attractions and statistics of the community and are indeed proud of where they work and live.  As a real estate broker, I often find myself on the cheerleading squad for Northern Virginia.  It's one thing to promote an area because you live and work there and earn your living there and from people moving there (as we REALTORS do).  It's another to be truly passionate about the community.
This morning I met the #1 cheerleader for Fairfax County, Virginia.  His name is Dr. Gerald Gordon and he's the President and … (12 comments)

Should I Have Left Business Cards on These Cars? - 03/24/10 02:59 PM
Sunday night, my wife and I enjoyed dinner outdoors at one of our favorite Old Town Alexandria restaurants, The Fish Market, where we dined on one of our favorite dishes, the Seafood Bake.  We were treated to our own private car show there on King Street.  The white Rolls Royce was parked right in front of us the entire time.
Then... it was joined by a red Ferrari which pulled in behind it halfway through our meal.  Just about every guy walking up and down the street took a photo of these two luxury vehicles.

After dinner, I considered leaving … (10 comments)

Get a Jump on It: Most Alexandria & Arlington Homes are Selling in Less Than 60 Days! - 03/24/10 02:10 PM
Just about every home seller that I've ever met has two primary goals:
1.  Get the highest price for the home.
2.  Sell the home fast.
Among other things, homebuyers want to make sure that they don't miss out on the home they want before it is sold.
Here's some interesting and important news for both buyers and sellers.
Most Alexandria, Virginia and Arlington, Virginia homes are selling in less than 60 days!  That's pretty fast, all things considered.  In some price ranges, homes in these areas are selling in an average of 36 days.  That should be welcoming news to … (2 comments)

Old Town Alexandria is the Place for Luxury and/or Historic Townhouses - 03/24/10 12:53 PM
When looking for a townhouse, what do you consider luxury?
Do any of the following fit the description?:
 
Almost 5000 square feet of living space Views of the river Close proximity to shops and restaurants Totally renovated Has a historic plaque outside Own a piece of history George Washington visited this home Overlooking the D.C. skyline and Potomac River Over $1 million  
If you answered yes to one or more of these questions, then get in the car and head down to shop for homes in Old Town Alexandria. 
There are townhomes available in Old Town Alexandria that match each … (0 comments)

$2,467,601 Per Week: That's What My Office Has Sold - 03/18/10 02:28 PM
This week marks one year since I became the Managing Broker of our RE/MAX Allegiance office in McLean, VA.  It's a good time to look back and reflect on some numbers.  These numbers make me very proud of our great agents here and quite happy with my first year "at the helm."
Here we go:
Over the last 365 days our office had a total of 317 sales for a total sales volume of $128,667,784.
That's over 6 sales per week for an average volume of $2,467,601 every week of the past year.
I compared that with the 365 days previous … (7 comments)

Stop What You Are Doing and Sell Your House: Inventory is Still Very Low in Northern Virginia - 03/16/10 04:05 PM
Three and a half months ago, I wrote Stop Thinking About It. It's Time to Sell Your House. Inventory is Very Very Low in Northern Virginia
I'm not one of those agents who's constantly running around saying "It's a good time to buy.  It's a good time to sell," everyday, everywhere, to everyone.
When asked whether it's a good time to buy or to sell, I always answer with the lawyerly answer "It Depends!"  It always depends on your personal and financial situation and on your life and goals.
However, if you've been considering selling your home, or you HAVE … (5 comments)

The Housing Bust is Essentially Over? - 03/15/10 05:19 PM
It can be dangerous listening to the Talking Heads. 
 
No, not the "Psycho Killer/Burning Down the House" Talking Heads, but the small "t" small "h" talking heads that make major pronouncements about real estate and the condition of the market, predictions, etc.  If you don't know which economist to trust, you can end up having 5 different opinions from 5 different economists, all who believe they know what's going to happen with real estate.

I always believe that it's better for you to listen to someone who's out there in the field every day, "playing in the street", and … (14 comments)

In Just 50 Days Your Home Will be Worth $8000 Less! - 03/11/10 02:52 PM
The countdown is on!  In just 50 days, believe it or not -- for those of you keeping track, that's 7 weeks and 1 day, your home will be worth $8000 less.

No, it's not the apocalypse.  Your roof is not going to collapse nor will all your kitchen appliances start to malfunction on May 1, 2010.  Stains and holes will not mysteriously appear on your hardwood floor or carpets.  Your windows will not shatter and the paint will not start peeling off of your walls.
There's no magic switch that gets flipped causing all home listings on the MLS to … (9 comments)

Contrary to Popular Belief You CAN Buy a Home in McLean, Virginia for Under $1 Million - 03/09/10 03:52 PM
If you've been reading my blog for some time, live in the Northern Virginia area, or have been contemplating a move here (why haven't you called yet?), chances are you know that McLean, Virginia is one expensive community.

Back in 2008, I wrote Meet McLean, Virginia: The Fourth Most Affluent Community in the U.S.  A year later, when McLean took the top rank of wealthiest community in America, I penned (okay, really I typed) "It's a Great Place to Have a Real Estate Office, I Can Tell You That!"
Reading my monthly rundown of the most expensive home sales in Northern Virginia, you'll notice … (3 comments)

How to Use the Incredibly Obvious to Have Some Fun & Maybe Sell Some More Homes! - 03/09/10 01:45 PM
Last week while flying down to Orlando, Florida for the RE/MAX International Convention, I had the great pleasure of flying on a low-fare (READ: discount, no frills) airline.  Namely, AirTran.  I didn't really save any money since USAir, Southwest, and just about everyone else was offering the same $139.40 roundtrip from D.C.  Nice!
However, I did get to experience and taste some darn good gourmet pretzels en route.  More than that, I learned how to Use the Incredibly Obvious to Have Some Fun & Maybe Sell Some More Homes.  This I learned from a bag of pretzels:
 
Due to … (8 comments)

February 2010's Most Expensive Home Sales in Northern Virginia - 03/08/10 02:59 PM
Are you wondering about Northern Virginia real estate and pondering what has sold recently?
Here's some information about the most expensive home sales in Northern Virginia (Arlington County, Alexandria City, Fairfax City, Fairfax County, and Falls Church City) for February 2010.  All information was obtained through MRIS.
Overall, there were only 24 Northern Virginia home sales topping $1 million during February 2010, half as many as sold in January.
Currently, there are 639 homes on the market in Northern Virginia with list prices topping $1 million just up from the 633 that were on the market in January.
FEBRUARY 2010'S MOST EXPENSIVE SALES
Single Family … (2 comments)

 
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Brian Block -- Northern Virginia & D.C. Real Estate

McLean, VA

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RE/MAX Allegiance, Managing Broker/Branch Vice President

Address: 6226 Old Dominion Drive, McLean, VA, 22101

Office Phone: (703) 626-0715

Cell Phone: (703) 626-0715

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